For many years, U.S. highway research and technology (R&T)
programs were funded at very modest and relatively constant levels. In
fact, program funding was actually decreasing because of inflation
factors. Over the years, some agencies have had to reduce the size of
their R&T programs, including making reductions in staff.

Support for our Nation's highway R&T programs took a turn
for the better with the enactment of the Surface Transportation
Assistance Act of 1987. This Act provided for the strategic Highway
Research Program (SHRP). The SHRP provided an influx of funds to carry
out research and development (R&D) work on highway problems that
could not otherwise be fully addressed because of insufficient resources
in the highway community.

On December 18, 1991, President Bush signed into law the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991. This 6-year
authorization Act will significantly shape the future of the
Nation's highway program for the remainder of the this century.
Like the 1987 Act, the 1991 ISTEA reflects the growing support of
Congress and the President for highway research and technology.

The ISTEA provides the impetus for an intermodal perspective and
performance-based criteria that place strong emphases on efficiency,
contributions to productivity, and environmental responsibility. More
specifically, the ISTEA of 1991 will affect the Federal Highway
Administration's R&T programs through:

* Greater program visibility and resources.

* Strong support for intelligent vehicle-highway systems.

* Collaborative research.

* Emphasis on commercial motor vehicle safety.

* International outreach.

* Expanded education and training programs.

This article summarizes key R&T efforts established or
continued by the ISTEA in the above areas.

Program Visibility and Development

The Act provides for the establishment of a National Council on
Surface Transportation Research. This council will make a complete
investigation of current surface transportation R&T developments
both in the United States and internationally. It will identify gaps
and duplication in these efforts and will determine R&D areas that
could increase efficiency, productivity, safety, and durability in the
Nation's surface transporation systems. The council will be
composed of seven members appointed by Congress and the President.
These members will report their findings to Congress by September 30,
1993. The council will be dissolved by March 30, 1994.

The Act also establishes an independent surface transportation
Research Advisory Committee that will provide ongoing advice and
recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on surface
transportation R&D. The committee will be composed of 20 to 30
members appointed by the Secretary and will include representatives from
universities, corporations, associations, consumers, State Government
agencies, and Federal agencies other than Transportation.

The Act requires the Secretary to develop an integrated National
Surface Transportation Research and Development Plan. This plan will
provide appropriate funding levels and a schedule with milestones,
preliminary cost estimates, work plans, personnel requirements, and
estimate costs and goals for the next 3 years for each R&D area.
The plan will also include a 10-year projection of long-term research
and development.

Also within the program visibility and development area, the Act
provides a minimum of $108 million to implement the products of the
completed SHRP and to continue the Long-Term Pavement Performance
Program.

Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems

The Act established an IVHS Program, authorizing approximately $660
million over the 6-year authorization period. The IVHS Program will
include research, development, and operational tests of innovations and
technologies that will enhance the mobility, efficiency, and safety of
the Nation's surface transportation system. The Act also
establishes goals to use IVHS to:

* Develop a technology base and establish the capability to perform
demonstration experiments at national laboratories.

* Transfer the technology to the private sector.

The Act directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) and other
involved Federal departments and agencies to promote maximum involvement
by the private sector, universities, and State and local governments.

The Department is also directed to develop and implement standards
and protocols that will ensure compatibility in implementing IVHS
techonolgies. It also requires evaluation guidelines for IVHS
operational tests and the establishment of an information clearinghouse.

Within the first year of the Act, the Department will develop and
implement a strategic plan for IVHS and submit it to Congress. This
plan will include the goals, objectives, and milestones of the IVHS
Program, and will provide for accelerated use of advanced technology to
reduce traffic congestion.

Under the Act, a completely automated prototyped highway and
vehicle system must be developed for future fully automated IVHS
systems. The goal is to have the first fully automated roadway or test
track in operation by the end of 1977. An IVHS Corridors Program will
be established to provide for operational tests under "real
world" conditions. Corridors that meet certain transportation and
environmental criteria can participate in developing and implementing
IVHS technologies.

Other provisions relating to IVHS include (1) the use of advisory
committees to carry out the IVHS Program and (2) planning grants to
State and local governments for studying the feasibility of IVHS
development and implementation.

Collaborative Research

Within the highway community, substantial support has been
demonstrated for additional R&D and the effective application of
innovative technologies to solve highway problems. An important Act
provision that supports this initiative is new authority for
collaborative research and development with other public and private
entities, with a Federal share of up to 50 percent of the activity
costs. The IVHS Program has already released requests for proposals
that suggest establishing consortia with public and private institutions
to both share the costs and implement R&T projects.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Technology

The ISTEA directs the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a
study to evaluate technology designed for installation on a commercial
motor vehicle. This technology will provide the vehicle operator with a
warning if a turn, lane change, or other vehicle operator movement will
place the vehicle in the path of an adjacent object or vehicle. This
study's report will be submitted to Congress no later than December
18, 1993.

International Highway Transportation

Outreach Program.

A new International Highway Transporation Outreach Program will
inform the United States highway community of foreign transportation
innovations. The program will also promote U.S. highway transportation
expertise internationally, and increase the use of United States highway
transportation technology in foreign countries.

Education and Training

National Highway Institute

Under the New Act, the National Highway Institute (NHI), in
cooperation with the State transportation or highway departments, will
expand its highway education and training programs to include not only
Federal, State, and local highway agencies, but also U.S. private sector
citizens and foreign nationals involved in highway work of interest to
the United States. The Act sets aside 1/16 of 1 percent of all surface
transportation funds provided to a State to pay for up to 80 percent of
the cost of training and education for State and local highway
employees, excluding travel, subsistence, and salaries.

The NHI will develop and present wide range of education and
training programs related to highways on planning, environmental
factors, acquisition of rights-of-way, relocation assistance,
engineering, safety, construction, maintenance, contract administration,
motor carrier activities and inspection. The Institute will continue to
assess and collect fees to defray the cost of developing and
administering its education and training programs. Fees for private
agencies and individuals will reflect the full cost of the education and
training received; others will be assessed a reduced amount. The Act
also authorized the NHI to grant training fellowships.

Expanded Rural Technical Assistance Program

The Act establishes an education and training program that expands
the existing Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP). The new program
may include urban areas of up to 1 million population as well as the
rural areas already covered under the RTAP. The program is authorized
at $6 million for fiscal years 1992 through 1997.

The expanded program develops a transportation assistance program
that will include grants and contract for education and training,
technical assistance, and related support services. These grants will
assist rural local transportation agencies in develiping expertise;
improving roads and bridges; enhancing programs for moving passengers
and freight; and preparing and providing training packages, guidelines,
and other material. The grants will also develop a tourism and
recreational travel technical assistance program.

In addition, the grants may identify, package, and deliver usable highway technology to assist urban transportation agencies to resolve
road-related problems. The grants may also establish--in cooperation
with State transportation agencies and universities--urban technical
assistance centers programs in States with two or more urbanized areas
of 50,000 to 1,000,000 population, and rural technical assistance
centers.

University Transportation Centers Program/Research

Institutes

The Act establishes five additional centers under the University
Transportation Centers Program. These will perform the following
activities:

* The National Center for Transportation Management, Research, and
Development at Morgan State University will focus on research, training,
and technology transfer activities that will encourage highly skilled
minority individuals and women to enter the transportation workforce.

* Through the use of transportation management systems, the Center
for Transportation and Industrial Productivity at the New Jersey
Institute of Technology will conduct R&D activities to increase
surface transportation capacity and reduce congestion and costs for
transportation system users and providers.

* The James and Marlene Howard Transportation Information Center at
Monmouth College, New Jersey, will coordinate its work on
transportation-related instruction and research in computer science,
electronic engineering, mathematics, and software engineering with the
Center for Transportation and Industrial Productivity at th New Jersey
Institute of Technology.

* The National Rural Transportation Study Center at the University
of Arkansas will conduct research, training, and technology transfer
activities in the development, management, and operations of intermodal
transportation systems in rural areas.

* The National Center for Advanced Transportation Technology at th
University of Idaho will operate in partnership with private industry
and will conduct industry-driven R&D activities focusing on
transportation-related manufacturing and engineering processes,
materials, and equipment.

The Act also creates five University Research Institutes. These
are:

* Institute for National Surface Transportation Policy Studies.

* Insfrastructure Technology Institute.

* Urban Transit Institute.

* Institute for Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Concepts.

* Institute for Research and Education.

Each of these institutes will specialize in an aspect of
transportation research vital to the advancement of U.S. technology and
innovation.

Other Programs

Other initiative established by the Act include the following.

* A new Applied Research and Technology Program is required to
provide accelerated testing, evaluation, and implementation of
technologies designed to improve the durability, efficiency,
environmental impact, productivity, and safety of highway, transit, and
intermodal transportation systems. Program guidelines from the
Secretary are required within 18 months, and a total of $240 million is
authorized over the next 6 years.

* A Seismic Research Program will be established to study the
vulnerability of highways, tunnels, and bridges on the Federal-aid
system to earthquakes and implement cost-effective methods to reduce
such vulnerability. The program will cooperate with the National Center
for Earthquake Engineering Research and agencies participating in
National Hazards Reduction Program.

* A Bureau of Transportation Statistics will be created in DOT to
enhance date collection, analysis, and reporting, and to ensure the most
cost-effective use of transportation monitoring resources. A total of
$90 million is provide over the 6 years of the Act. The Bureau will
publish a Transportation Statistics Annual Report by January 1, 1994.

* A National Transit Institute will be established to conduct
training programs for all involved in Federal-aid transit work. Funding
is $18 million over the 6 years of the authorization.

Summary

The ISTEA of 1991 will significantly shape the future of the
Federal Highway Administration's R&T program in four ways.
First, the Act will give the program visibility and development by
establishing a National Council on Surface Transportation Research to
investigate current surface transportation research and technology here
and abroad. In addition, an independent Research Advisory Committee
will be created and an integrated National Surface Transportation
Research and Development Plan developed.

Second, the Act establishes and funds an IVHS Program with
approximately $660 million. Among other things, the Act requires
compatible standards and protocols to promote widespread IVHS
technologies, both establishes IVHS evaluation guidelines for
operational tests and an information clearinghouse and mandates a
prototype IVHS.

Third, the ISTEA authorizes collaborative R&D with other public
and private entities to improve, implement and cost-share research,
development, and technology transfer projects.

Fourth, the Act creates a new International Highway Transportation
Outreach Program, an education and training program to expand RTAP to
urban areas and adds American Indians to the program, an Applied
Research and Technology Program, a Seismic Research Program, a Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, a National Transit Institute, and five
additional University Transportation Centers and University Research
Institutes. In addition, the Act expands the NHI program.

Together, these efforts will broaden, enhance, and improve the
R&T projects and initiates of the Federal Highway Administration,
enduring the U.S. ability to meet the transportation challenges of the
next century.

Charles L. Miller is the Associate Administrator for Research and
Development, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). He is responsible
for the FHWA's research and development program, which is
administered from the FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research
Center, in McLean, Virginia. A major element in FHWA's program is
the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems; other reseach efforts are in
the areas of highway safety, improved pavements and structures,
increased producivity, environmental interactions, and investigating
better ways to market and deliver new technology to the States and to
the highway community. Prior to joining FHWA, Mr. Miller was Director
of the Arizona Department of Transportation. A registered professional
engineer in Arizona and in West Virginia, Mr. Miller has a B.S.C.E. from
West Virginia University and has done post-graduate work at West
Virginia State College.

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